Upgrade to 440 Pro vs Exiting the Devialet ecosystem

[chrisc]

A Lumin U2 is an excellent companion to a Devialet
Streaming and USB sourced sound is way ahead of direct streaming and a USB drive simply plugged in.
Improved clarity and depth of sound a substantial jump ahead

[Delija]

When you say "direct streaming" - you talk about Roon, UPnP or Air?

[audio_engr]

What will be your advice on the AES/RCA cable? Should I invest on making my own cable or is there an agreed winner here?

Question will be IF you can hear the difference between [RCA -> RCA] vs. [RCA -> AES] ? If you do, then I recommend the best AQ variety thats within your budget.

[markush]

I've been running dual mono now for so long, I can't even remember. I have always preferred the USB over Ethernet input and recently bought a Holo Audio RED to try the AES/EBU input.

I have compared number of different streamers and the Holo Audio Red is definitely a price/performance highlight. Though there is one important suggestion I would like to emphasize to get the audio quality to a completely different level. Upgrading the fuse from the Holo Red to a SR Pink will be a noticeable improvement, and going to a recommended SR Master will leave you in doubt that this could be possible.
Also going from an Audioquest Diamond AES/EBU to a Network Acoustics Muon made another huge step forward (the successor Muon2 btw will be released soon so definitely check this out).

[hardcore]

Devialet Expert amps still sound exceptionally good. I went from a 250 Pro to 1000 Pro and the step up was noticeable. Also, the sound can be improved if using the AES input driven by a top-grade streamer or DDC.

Compared to another system I play with often, which is driven by a PS Audio Perfectwave DAC and top-end MBL pre-amp and MBL mono-blocks: In most cases the 1000 Pro has similar or more detail, and a very natural but punchy sound. On the MBL system we also tried the Mola Mola DAC, and it had a different sound signature from the Perfectwave, but it's hard to say which actually sounds better. Perfectwave sounded more airy, while the Mola Mola had more obvious sound textures. All the systems are on a similar level of detail, not a night and day difference.

Comparing cost and simplicity, the MBL Monoblocks + Preamp + DAC + Streamer setup costs about 2x more than a 1000 Pro.

In both systems though, what *did* make a significant improvement was adding a good DDC and Streamer source before the DAC. Both systems use a Singxer SU-6 DDC, audio-optimized optical USB cables, optical ethernet isolation, and linear power supplies for all the accessories.

On a side note, the Mola Mola DAC has some irritating restrictions. It only accepts DSD via Ethernet (Roon) or USB inputs. The AES and Coax inputs only work with PCM, so this limits your choices if you want to add a DDC before it.